Toddler favorite withdrawn after FDA issues warning over choking hazard
The snack can ‘rapidly hydrate into a dense, dry, and sticky mass’ that can cause a potential choking hazard, the FDA says
A snack beloved by toddlers across the U.S. has been withdrawn after the Food and Drug Administration warned that it received reports of a choking hazard.
All flavors of Tractor Wheel Organic Toddler Soft-Baked Bars have been pulled, the FDA confirmed on Monday, with the snack having previously been distributed across the nation - including Puerto Rico.
Reports suggested that the composition of the snack can cause it to “rapidly hydrate into a dense, dry, and sticky mass upon contact with saliva and during chewing,” the FDA says. That can lead to a “potential choking hazard” for toddlers aged between 1.5 years and 2.5 years old.
Three choking reports have been made to the FDA. In a previous warning, the administration said that some of the choking incidents have required emergency response intervention and observation in hospital.
Standard choking interventions, including the Heimlich maneuver and back blows, may prove ineffective in preventing choking incidents, the FDA noted.
Once Upon a Farm CEO and co-founder John Foraker addressed the withdrawal in a statement issued on Facebook.
“Guided by our commitment to quality and safety, we are voluntarily recalling all flavors of Once Upon a Farm Tractor Wheels soft-baked bars (sic) products,” Foraker wrote. “We made this decision with you and your family in mind upon receiving three recent consumer reports of a potential choking hazard.”
Customers have been urged by the FDA not to open or consume any Tractor Wheels products. Instead, they can return the item to where they purchased it for a full refund or contact the company itself.
In the meantime, Foraker says that the company is working with the FDA to remove affected products.
“As part of this process and a larger evaluation of Tractor Wheels products, we are reformulating these family favorites to ensure they adhere to the highest standards,” he added.
A further statement issued on the company website addresses concerns over trust in the brand.
“We know that parents place their trust in us every time they buy one of our products,” the statement reads. “We fell short of that, and that is why we are taking these aggressive actions.”
The product was sold in a variety of flavors including strawberry, pumpkin and beet; apple, sweet potato and spinach; banana, pumpkin and cauliflower; a variety pack option; and baby & toddler snack samplers.
According to its website, Once Upon a Farm was launched in 2015 to “create more nutritious, convenient, and delicious” products for babies and toddlers. Later, Foraker and actress Jennifer Garner joined the company as co-founders.